The Spiral Staircase

Omaha's own Dorothy McGuire stars as Helen, servant girl to rich, crazy,
old Mrs. Warren (Ethel Barrymore). Mrs. Warren is bedridden, given to
uttering semi-deranged warnings to Helen, and hurling
churlish insults at everyone else. She's the head of a very
dysfunctional family occupying a very spooky old mansion.

To add to the drama, there's a serial killer about. He's concentrating
on (as we would say in this more enlightened time) differently-abled
women: one with a limp, one "simple-minded", and … oh, did I
mention that Helen can't speak, due to a psychological trauma
incurred years ago?

Others occupying the mansion are two stepbrothers, one a professor,
the other a ne'er-do-well just returned from
abroad. The ne'er-do-well
has the hots for Blanche, the professor's assistant (and who wouldn't,
as
she's played by Rhonda Fleming). There's a caretaker (Rhys Williams)
with a wife (Elsa Lanchester) who's a little too fond of the basement
brandy. A local doctor is smitten with Helen, but not enough
to hang around when she finds herself in danger.

Movie quiz: since her muteness is psychological,
do you think Helen might regain the ability to speak at a crucial
moment?

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